Quite possibly the cutest photo ever. 

Lila chillin' in the backyard. She's wearing a sunhat that is far too big for her head, but it looks like a cowboy hat in this shot. :) 

Fussy Baby. I've been trying to get a good shot of her when she's really mad, but she gets distracted by the camera and becomes only mildly fussy. 

We discovered a new game to play with Lila last night. Doug was giving her a bath and as I was leaving the bathroom, I turned off the light for a few seconds (to harrass Doug, mostly). When I flipped the light back on, Lila got a big grin on her face. Apparently this was funny. So I did it again and this time we got chuckles! I kept doing it until she started to lose interest and got lots of cute chuckles! :)

Doug ripped down the rest of our dirty, ugly awning from over the back porch this weekend. Today is bulk trash day and he wanted to get it down so that it could be taken away. The view out the back door is so much nicer without it! The awning was dirty dirty dirty and it was starting to break apart and fall off on its own. Now I look out the door and see more sky and trees! The living room and kitchen are brighter too!

Doug and I had a date on Friday! We went to the Alamo Drafthouse and saw 'Memoirs of a Geisha'. I really liked it! It made me want to be more mysterious. :o)~

Here's Lila enjoying the bouncy thing that Ellen loaned us - thank you Ellen! She doesn't really bounce in it, but she likes to spin! 

Here's a nice view of Doug. He was working on running the cable into the living room and at one point he actually had most of his body squeezed into this cabinet - it was quite funny! :) 

Lila learning to type. We gave her her very own keyboard because she was so *helpful* when we were trying to use the computer. 

"Hey Daddy! I took care of some emails for you. I hope you don't mind!" 

Well, yesterday it was my turn to be sick. I either caught the little cold bug that Lila had or I had a major allergy attack brought on by dusting and being outside. Anyway, I was sniffly and sneezy and totally miserable! My Most-Wonderful-Husband-In-The-World worked from home so that he could help me take care of Lila. I was mostly just a milk dispenser yesterday.

I'd feed her and then sink into a semi-conscious stupor while he changed and played with her. She tolerated my "neglect" very well. Doug even took her with him to an "off-site" (that's where he and his coworkers get to go and play somewhere on Dell's dollar) in the afternoon. So she got her first trip to Dave & Buster's and I got a nice, long, uninterrupted nap.

I snuggled up in our bed with three pillows, my teddy bear, and one cat and even though I felt awful, it was the best nap I've had in a long time! The good news is that by yesterday evening I was feeling a bit better and I'm feeling *much* better today. :)

Poor Lila has her first cold. It's better today than it was yesterday. She has just the slightest runny nose and the slightest cough. She's pretty much okay other than that. Yesterday was sad because all she wanted to do was lay on me and you could just tell that she felt bad. Hopefully it will continue to get better and not worse! :(

I spent 15 minutes dusting in our bedroom today and it made a wonderful difference. Unfortunately, it's also messing with my head. You know - sneezing, itching, dripping. Hopefully it will pass and not get worse. All we need is for both of us to end up puny.

Doug gave us a nice surprise by stopping by the house after lunch today. He was eating at Cool River (very close to the house) so he thought he'd stop by to say Hello and put his leftovers in the fridge. Lila missed it because she was sleeping, but it was a nice pick-me-up for Ma! I do like that boy and his hugs are the best! :)

Well, Lila has been getting a little rice cereal after her milk breakfast every morning since Saturday. She's doing quite well. This morning she did decide that she didn't want any, but there was no drama involved. She just kept pushing the spoon away. I kept trying for a few minutes and then poured the rest out. As long as she's still drinking enough milk, I'm not going to push the solids on her!

Okay, I'll mention this now and then try to refrain from yapping about it every day. I've joined a website/mailing list called FlyLady.net. It's a system to get yourself into routines that declutter your house (and life) and help you keep things clean. I am very excited about this because I've been feeling overwhelmed lately by how much needs to be done around the house.

It has you start by shining your sink. Scrub it with a toothbrush and use window cleaner - really make it shine! That's only the first time, from then on you just make sure you give it a little care every day and you have a shiney happy sink to greet you when you enter the kitchen. It's a little thing, but it does give me a sense of accomplishment that keeps me motivated to take the next step! :)

Lila got her first serving of rice cereal today and she was all over it! She took to eating from the spoon like a champ! 

"Ooooaaaaaaa! I know Kung Fu! Don't mess with me! I'm crazy in the head!" 

"See, Ma? I'm eating solid food!" 

Lila seems to have started doing half-a-dozen new things overnight! Just to name one, she got upset because I wouldn't give her something she wanted today. I was filing my fingernails and she decided she wanted to play with the file. For obvious reasons, I declined to let her have it. She didn't throw a fit or anything, but it was clear what she wanted and she was annoyed that I wasn't giving it to her.

I stopped by the pediatrician's office this afternoon to get her weight and length. She'll be five months old tomorrow and I wanted the numbers for her baby book. Plus, I like to know. She weighs exactly 16 lbs. and is 25.5 inches long. That means she's gained one pound and grown half an inch in just under a month. Go baby go!

And here's a weird dream I had: If you've never watched 'America's Next Top Model' (a secret pleasure of mine), then you might not know who Janice Dickinson (sp?) is, but she's the main person it was about. Briefly, she's a middle-aged ex-supermodel with big boobs and an attitude. In this dream, she was also a centaur. First of all, I found out in it that the way she had kept her breasts so large over the years was by continually acting as a wet nurse for other mothers.

Also in the dream she asked me, for whatever reason, to nurse her foal for her. I said, okay, no problem. However, that means I won't have enough milk for my baby, so could you nurse her for me. She said sure. Now, have you ever seen the Chevy Impala commercial with all the little silver impalas running around? Well, that's what her foal was - a little silver impala. It was all very strange.

I mean, I spend a good deal of time breastfeeding, so I can understand how that made it into my dreams. But Janice Dickinson? I haven't even watched 'ATM' in quite a while. And as a centaur? And the thing about her boobs? I just don't know where my brain comes up with these things sometimes. There was also something in the dream about a very fast and expensive car called a Heist. That was the maker. There was a model name too, but I don't remember what it was. Everyone was shocked that I'd gotten to drive a Heist though. Weird...

Lila and I were hanging out in the yard a little while ago and she was so content! She was just staring at the trees and sucking on her fingers. After awhile, she took her hand out of her mouth and stuck it up in the air and I just started cracking up. She'd had half her hand in her mouth and it was all slimey and glistening. I can't explain why this was so funny, but it was. I never thought I'd find saliva amusing!

The hammock was a lifesaver for me this afternoon because she's been so fussy! I don't know if I ate something that's making my milk taste funny or what, but she keeps fussing through her meals. Oh well, if that's the case, then it will pass soon.

I love being a mother. Lila is a part of me now that I could never be complete without. I didn't think there was room inside to love two people so much (Doug being the other one)! And to think that fear could have kept me from this joy... I praise God for his plans are perfect and He gives me the strength to take each new step in my life. I hope I remember this the next time I have fear and doubt.

It has not rained in Austin in... a long time. We have a 50% chance of storms today, but I'm still not holding my breath. All it's done so far is sprinkle a few times. That's just enough to make the plants cry. All of the lawns are dead dead dead. And it's not because it's cold. No no. There's no 'cold' here. It's been in the 60s to 70s every day for weeks. It's like living in California. Only they've had rain!

Charlie decided to hijack my nightstand a few nights ago. (they are sleeping with us again now that lila's in her own room) It's pushed right up against my side of the bed because the breast pump sits on it and that's just the best place for it. Unfortunately, Charlie has decided it's also the best place for him to sleep at night. He just pushes whatever else is there into the floor to make room for himself.

One night, I made sure there was a bunch of stuff in the way to thwart him, so he retaliated by refusing to sleep in the bed at all and then being naughty all day the next day. Silly boy!

I was giving Lila a massage and couldn't resist taking some Naked Baby pictures. Look at that cute tushy! 

"Look at my bulging biceps! I will squish you!" 

"Yeah, I'm cool! I know." 

Lila and I have developed a fun new habit. Since Christmas, we've been going out and swinging in the hammock together. The weather has been unseasonably warm for weeks, so we've been able to do it often. Not every day, but more often than not. This is especially helpful when Lila gets extra fussy or refuses to take a nap. Once we're in the hammock, she's guaranteed to be entranced by her surroundings for at least 15 minutes!

I'll lay on my back (sideways, with my feet off the side so that i can keep us swinging) and she'll be on her tummy on top of me. It's so awesome to watch her hold that head up and soak in all the fascinating new sights with those beautiful blue eyes. She's intrigued by the new sounds too - like dogs barking and the wind in the trees.

During these times I talk to her about everything from what I plan on cooking for dinner to the God who created her and how much He loves her. It's also a great opportunity to be humble and apologize if I've been impatient with her during the day. And sometimes I just lay back and watch her and marvel at what an amazing little person she is... It's a very special time. :)

Not a whole lot going on this week. Well, besides normal errands and lunch dates. Lila has been sleeping in her own room all night since Sunday evening! She really doesn't seem to mind. And she's going through another phase where she just wants to be swaddled and left alone most of the time. Sometimes if we try rocking her it actually makes her fidgety and mad. Whatever. As long as she's going to sleep...

I became obsessed last night with organizing a box of photos that's been floating around the house since... before we got married. I just wanted to straighten them up so that more would fit in the box and I put some of our professional photos (graduation, engagement, pregnant belly) in little photo albums. Now there's still the issue of figuring out where to put these albums and boxes.

It was a big weekend for Lila! On Friday evening, she started laughing for real (chuckling, really)! She had just had a major blowout (so maybe she was feeling extra 'light on her feet') and was laying on the changing table. Doug was cleaning her up and I popped in next to him and something about looking at me was quite amusing, apparently. She just chuckled and chuckled! I have had limited success at getting her to do it again by being the Mommy Monster and "eating" her neck and belly. :o)~

She also slept in her own room all night last night for the first time! We put her to bed in there on Saturday evening as well, but I brought her back to our room after her early morning feeding. For my benefit more than hers - she seems to be perfectly happy in there! The only reason we hadn't made the transition sooner is because I wasn't ready. I like having her so close to me at night. I can look in at her any time I want (to make sure she's breathing, to see what funny position she is sleeping in, or just to admire her beauty) and it is convenient for those nighttime wake-ups. I must say though, it was nice being able to get ready for bed without having to tip-toe and whisper! She's getting to be a big girl! *sigh*

Lila has discovered the enchantment of peek-a-boo. And I have discovered that it is a good way to keep her happy during the normally insufferable activity of getting diapered and dressed after her bath! :) She makes a lot of funny noises too and most of the time her tongue is sticking out while she's making them. She accidentally made a raspberry the other day, but she hasn't done it again.

We follow the advice of "they" and mimic her expressions and sounds to encourage communication development. The only drawback is that she tends to stop talking herself and just watch us! Every once in a while I try saying "ma ma ma ma ma" or "da da da da da" over and over again in hopes that she'll try and repeat it. No such luck so far though. :)

This is one of Lila's little Longhorn outfits. Everyone thinks she's a boy when she wears this one! 

Silly little bubble blower! And such pretty blue eyes! 

Lila enjoying the Exersaucer she got for Christmas. Look at those fat little legs! 

Oh my *goodness* what a game! The last minute was torture. University of Texas Longhorns - National Champions! :) I am SO tired now...

In the midst of watching the Rose Bowl. UT had better win...

Doug and I have been fully immersed in redecorating the living room and entryway for nearly a week now! We spent two solid days tearing down the ugly wallpaper that was up when Doug bought the house. That is not a fun job! We finally got it all down though and then the fun part began. We primed the walls, put texture back on them, primed again and started painting!

The living room is orange now. The color is officially called La Fonda Sombrero, but once we got it on the walls we realized that it's Longhorn Orange! Well, we're both Longhorns, so we can live with that. Plus, it's a great color! Anyway, the entryway is now a wintery sort of blue and we're repainting the doors and trim. We're totally rearranging the living room too.

There is a sliding glass door and a fireplace that sort of limit the room layout choices, but we've decided to "get crazy." We're reclaiming wall space by putting the sofa in front of the fireplace. It doesn't work properly anyway and we never use it (the fireplace, that is). With a shelf that Doug plans to build behind the sofa and some strategically placed lamps and/or plants, I think it will work! Well, enough talk - now I need to get back to work! :)